Challenger Bryant enjoying a slight lead over Fisken

Published 10:00 pm, Wednesday, November 7, 2007

"It feels great. I think the voters have spoken, and I feel honored that they are going to put this port in my hands," Tarleton said Wednesday.

Edwards congratulated Tarleton and reflected on his two terms as commissioner.

"I spent my eight years, and I do feel the port I leave is in better shape today than when I joined in 2000," Edwards said, referring in part to the construction of the third runway and the meteoric rise of the cruise industry. "I told her I hope she becomes an exemplary port commissioner, because I would feel much better being succeeded by someone who will be a success as a port commissioner."

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Edwards, who has been in public service since 1989, said he would not seek another position.

The bids to unseat two Port of Seattle Commissioners were the only major King County races left unresolved when more election results were posted Wednesday afternoon.

Both challengers were eking out leads over the incumbents, though some mail-in ballots received Tuesday or later had yet to be counted.

Challenger Bill Bryant -- the 47-year-old chairman of Bryant Christie, which lobbies for agricultural exporters -- added fractions to his slim lead over incumbent Alec Fisken, a 59-year-old city of Seattle policy analyst who trailed Bryant by nearly 2 percentage points.

Bryant was not available for comment Wednesday afternoon. But Fisken said he was disappointed by the results thus far.

"The only way I can pull it out is to get a pretty good margin in remaining Seattle absentees (ballots)," Fisken said, crediting Bryant's late radio, automated calling and mailing blitz, as well as his dual newspaper endorsements for the results.

Tarleton, a University of Washington fundraiser, had a lead of 5 percentage points over Edwards, a 57-year-old financial adviser.

Both challengers seized on scandals that have plagued the port as evidence that change was needed on the five-member board, which sets policy and authorizes big financial decisions for the port.

Bryant particularly blasted the infighting that has marked the commission response to the port's troubles, which reached a crescendo when it was revealed that Commissioner Pat Davis had signed a memo that sought to grant former port chief Mic Dinsmore payment of his $339,841 salary for up to one year past his retirement date in March 2007.

The Port of Seattle owns more than 4,000 acres of land in and around Seattle, primarily dedicated to operation of Sea-Tac Airport, the Seattle seaport, Fishermen's Terminal and Shilshole Bay Marina.